Frame and strengthening member therefor



Nov. 17, 1-931. E. J. ZAHNER ET AL FRAME AND STRENGTHENING MEMBERTHEREFOR Filed June 24, 1930 Aewneffi 6. Reyna/03 Arraxwsxs PatentedNov. 17, 1931 u Tes EDWARD J.ZAH1\TER, OF LA roars, INDIANA, AND KENNETHe. REYNOLDS, or

' NEW YORK jAnBA-NY,

FRAME AN D STRENGTHENING MEMBER- THEREFOIE Application filed June 24,

the structure of which. the window or door is merely a part.

Speaking generally, only a. triangular frame, pin-connected at theangles, is structurally rigid and cannot be distorted except by bendingor breaking one of the sides of the triangle, whereas a. pin-connectedunit of four sidesor elements of fixed length, may be built rectangularbut may readily be distorted to form any parallelogram without bendingor breaking one of the sides.

Window sashes, and window and. door frames are. of course, not pinconnected at the corners but they are generally rectangular in outlineand cannot be resolved into triangular units because of theimpracticability of inserting a diagonal member extending betweenopposite corners. The sides of such frames and sashes usually meet in amiter, and the strength at the miter alone provides the only resistanceto distortion. Where the stiles and rails of a 'door frame, for,example, are of substantial size, the problem of corner bracing presentsno great difficulty, but when the stiles and rails are of extremelylight material, such as sections formed from thin metal sheets orstrips, merely welding such sect-ions along thevmiters does not form asatisfactory structure. Neither is it satisfactory to provide at thecorners either an angle brace in which the two sides of the brace lie inthe same plane or in which the two sides lie in rectangularly disposedplanes. To attain the best results and assure structural stability andresistance to distortion in all directions the corners of 50 the frameshould bereinforced by angular 1.930. Serial No. 463,418.

elements of such shape or configuration that theytend substantially toresist distortion by tension or compression rather than by. merebending.

We accomplish this desired end. by the novel elements and thecombinations and arrangements thereof described below and il-, lustratedin the accompanying drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryperspective View showing one corner of a frame embodying. our inventionand the strengthening mem ber applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken through the frame and the bracket.member in the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1; a

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the bracket or strengthening member;

Fig 4 is a modified form of the bracket member p I I Fig. 5 is a stillfurther modification of a bracket member;

Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a complete frame, the sides of whichmeet in a miter, and without the bracket member of our invention appliedthereto; and I Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner inwhich the frame is distorted when a force is applied to the same in adirection tending to collapse the frame.

Like reference characters indicate partsthroughout the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in which we have illustrated certainpreferred embodiments of our invention, 10 is'a metallic frame formed ofcomparatively thin, rolled, sheet metal. In Fig. 2 we have illustratedone form of a sheet metal frame, the edges of which are folded back asat 11 and 12 and spaced from the main body of the frame. In theembodiment of our invention illustrated, the frame is intended as a sashfor a window and is formed with. an angle portion, the sides of whichare indicated at 112 and121; the window pane being received against theside/.112.

The sides of the frame meet in a miter as at 13, the two meeting edgesof the frame preferably being welded together. The bracket orstrengthening member is indicated like secured to the frame, the bracketmember forms in effect a beam or gusset having portions which resist bytension and compression the distortion or collapsing of the frame. Theflange, 16, is secured to the frame by welding, as at 18. Preferably,also, the plate, 15, is welded to the frame as at 20.

Preferably, the edges of the bracket memher are also provided withadditional flanges at their extreme ends as at 161 and 171 which arereceived in the spaces between folds, 11-

and 12, respectively, and the main body of the frame, the flange, 1'71,preferably being welded to the frame as at 19.

' In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Fig. 4 the bracketmember. 1411, comprises an angularplate, 151, and two plain outwardlyextending marginal flanges, 163. Obviously the strengthening bracketillustrated in Fig. 4 could be applied to a frame having a differentcontour in cross section from that illustrated in 2.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated a still further modification of ourinvention in which the angular plate, 152, is provided with an outwardlyextending flange, 7 162, and an inwardly extending flange, 172. Thestrengthening bracket illustrated in Fig. 5 could also be applied to adifferent form of a frame from that illustrated in Fig. 1'.

A frame, the sides of which meet in a miter as illustrated in Fig. 6, iscomparatively weak when formed of relatively thin sheet metal inconnection with which our invention isparticularly useful andparticularly when the edges of the frame meeting in the miter are weldedtogether When, for example, forces are applied to the two sides, 101 and102, of the frame as illustrated in Fig. 6, these forces tend tocollapse the frame, causing the miters,

the flanges being placed under tension in one case and under compressionin he second. We

are thereby enabled to form the frame of comparatively thin sheet metaland at the same time-make the frame sufficiently strong to resist anyforces to which it is ordinarily subjected.

In assembling the frame and bracket, one side of the frame is slid overone side of the bracket, and the other side of the frame is then slidover the other side ofthe bracket and the two edges of the frame arethen tion in its preferred embodiment it is to be understood that thewords which we have used are words of description ratherthan oflimitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claimsmaybe made without departing from. the true 'scope'and spirit of ourinvention in its broader aspects- What we claim is 1'. In combination, aframe formed of sheet metal the sides of which are bent in cross sectionand meet at an angle to form a miter,

and an angular metallic member formed of sheet metal, the two sides ofwhich extend generally parallel to the sides of said frame, saidmetallic member comprising a plate and two marginal flanges extendingalong both portions of said member and in opposite direction from saidplate, the planes of said I flanges extending at an angle to the planeof said miter, said flanges being secured to the sides of said frame.

2. In combination, a frame formed of sheet metal the sides of which arebent in cross section and meet at an angle to form a miter, the marginsof said frame being folded back and forming spaces between the folds andthe body portion of the frame, and an angular v metallic member the twosides of which extend generally parallel to the sides of said frame,said metallic member comprising a plate and a marginal flange extendingalong both portions of said member, the plane of said flanges extendingat an angle to the plane of said miter, and the edges of said flangesbeing provided with portions recessed within the spaces between therespective folds at the edges of the frame and the body portion thereof,said flanges being secured to the sides of said frame.

3. In combination, a frame formed of sheet metal the sides of which arebent in cross section and meet at an angle to form a miter,

and an angular metallic member formed of sheet metal the two sides ofwhich extend generally parallel to the sides of said frame, saidmetallic member comprising a plate and two marginal flanges extendingalong both portions of said member and in opposite directions from saidplate, the planes of said flanges extending at right angles to the planeof said miter, said flanges being secured to the sides of said frameEDWARD J. ZAHNER.

KENNETH G. REYNOLDS.

